St Mary The Boltons, Chelsea

The Boltons is one of the most expensive streets in London. It is two facing crescents with communal gardens in the middle, and a church - St Mary's.

When James Gunter died in 1819 his son Roger inherited this land which was his father's market garden. The will gave Roger the ability to grant leases on the land for building but he only developed the land slowly and 30 years later, in the Summer of 1850, he commissioned the first houses to be built in The Boltons by builders Harry Atkinson and Daniel Tidey. The whole road would not be finished for 15 years as houses gradually went up.

The architect was George Godwin, who was also, later, Editor of The Builder magazine.

By 1871, all 26 houses had been completed and there were 87 people living there, together with 97 servants.

The first houses sold for £1350 in 1852. They are now each worth about £52M.

The son of one of the builders - also Harry Atkinson - went on to be the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Hollywood Film Star Douglas Fairbanks Jr lived here in the 1950s.